Re: Breakfast in a Pill

Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@nada.kth.se)
Mon, 30 Dec 1996 14:47:40 +0100 (MET)

As others have pointed out, it is unlikely you could cram enough nutrients
into a single pill (and if you could, I assume its expansion when hydrated
would be quite painful :-). It is probably possible to concoct an
extremely high density nutrient diet; something like Felix's cup of olive
oil with a few blocks of protein-carbohydrates laced with trace elements
and other necessary chemicals (is it better to use whole proteins or free
amino acids?). Maybe something like a bar or two of "chocolate".

I do not buy the argument we do not know enough to make a 100% sustaining
meal yet; some people have lived for decades on intravenous nutrient
solutions with no ill effects. Presumably the contents of these solutions
could be turned into a meal of some kind (taking care to take
gastrointestinal tract inefficiencies and capabilities into account for
the new concentrations).

The main argument against the "meal in the pill" is simply that it will
not be very fulfilling; our appetite is regulated much by taste, texture
and enjoyment, and I guess a nutrient meal would tend to the boring (it
could of course be spiced up, but then we would be going full circle back
to the breakfast Chris wanted to avoid in the first place).

Personally I would like to develop this area anyway, since I love great
food, and if it could be healthy and nutritious *and* delicious, CR diets
would suddenly become much easier.

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Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
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